Can opener



1959 -J. R. MON'TGOMERY I 2,874,868

CAN OPENER Filed May 26, 1955 J72 2/??? Z07 J57??? J5, Jfaizggamely nited States Patent CAN OPENER John R. Montgomery, Hubbard Woods, Ill.

Application May 26, 1955, Serial No. 511,205

1 Claim. ('Cl. 220-52) This invention resides in the field of devices and gadgets for opening cans and is an improved form of can opener which greatly reduces the amount of eifort required to open a conventional can.

A primary object of my invention is a new and improved can opener which more efiiciently opens a conventional can.

Another object of my invention is an improved can opener of the disposable type adapted to be attached to a conventional can.

Another object of my invention is a disposable type key can opener adapted to accept a conventional tear strip on a can but constructed to provide and form a much larger or thicker bundle so that the strip is easier to tear.

Another object of my invention is a can opener of the above type adapted to prevent the rolled up tear strip from sliding off of either side of the roll or bundle.

Other objects will appear from time to time in the ensuing specification and drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a conventional can with my new and improved can opener;

Figure 2 is a side view of my can opener;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a sectional view of my can opener removing the tear strip on a can.

In Figure l a conventional can is indicated at and is provided with a conventional tear strip 12 extending around the can and scored or grooved appropriately so that it can be torn off or removed without excessive pressure.

My can opener is indicated at 14 and includes a shaft or shank 16 formed into a handle 18 of any suitable shape at one end and terminating in a tip portion 20 scored at 22 so that when the tip 20 is soldered or otherwise suitably secured to a flat surface of the can, the key can be easily removed by breaking it along the line 22. The shaft of the key has a longitudinal slot 24 adapted to receive the tip or projecting end 26 of the tear strip.

A tab 28 extends from the side of the shaft in a lateral direction opposite or adjacent the slot, as shown in Figure 3. The tab is relatively thick as shown in Figure 3 and it is disposed generally at right angles to the slot so that the turned up end 26 of the tear strip can easily be inserted through the slot without interference by the tab.

In Figure 2 I have shown the tab as extending the same longitudinal distance on each side of the slot 24 although it could be somewhat irregular if desired. The

2,874,868 Patented Feb. 24, 1959 tab is suitiably grooved, slotted or scored as at 30 in a longitudinal direction so that it will easily fold, bend or roll up, as shown in Figure 4.

The use, operation and function of my invention are as follows.

My invention takes the form of a conventional can opener key with a slot on its shaft or shank to receive and roll up the tear strip of a conventional can. Disposed next to the slot I provide a laterally extending tab of a suitable thickness which is grooved, slotted, or scored and will easily roll up into a bundle of a suitable thickness.

In Figure l I have shown the key with a turned up end of the tear strip projecting through its slot. In this position rotation of the key may begin and. the scored tab will be coiled up or bent into a tight bundle as the tear strip is torn away from the can. The scores on the tab 28 can be placed along the inner surface, relative to the direction of rotation, as shown in Figure 4, so that the tab can be easily bent. The tab has a longitudinal width such that the tear strip will not roll otf of either side. For example, the longitudinal width of the tab is approximately three or four times the width of a normal tear strip so that after several turns of the key, as in Figure 4, any misdirection or inaccurate coiling which causes the tear strip to slide 01f of the coil will cause it to be picked up by the adjacent portions of the coiled tab and not on the shaft of the key. The tab extends a sufiicient distance away from the key in a lateral direction so that a suitably sized bundle will be created during the rolling process.

While I have shown and described the preferred form of my invention, it should be understood that numerous modifications and changes can be made and will be readily apparent. For example, the tab can be scored on either side or both. The shape and style of the handle is unimportant, although the type shown is the simplest and cheapest. The material of the key is unimportant although the tab should roll up easily and it should be inexpensive. Other changes will be readily apparent and I therefore wish that my invention be unrestricted except as by the appended claim.

I claim.

A can opener of the type described in the general form of a key, including a shaft and a handle by which it may be rotated, an elongated slot in the shaft adapted to receive the tear strip of a can or the like, and at least one bendable tab having a width wider than the slot and having one edge integrally secured to the shaft along the longitudinal edge of the slot, the tab projecting laterally from the shaft substantially in the plane of the axis of the shaft and being, of such a construction whereby the tab will have a tendency to roll up when a tear strip is inserted in the slot and the opener is rotated.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 955,445 Wattne Apr. 19, 1910 2,326,191 Zabler Aug. 10, 1943 2,552,961 Grassenbach May 15, 1951 2,656,065 Breeze Oct. 20, 1953 2,750,070 Foley June 12, 1956 

